California

Biography of Hon. James Alexander Gibson

Hon. James Alexander Gibson, a member of the Supreme Court Commission of the State of California, was born August 21, 1852, in the city of Boston, and is a worthy representative of the best mental product of the Athens of America, and an honor to the bar of Southern California. His father, Thomas Gibson, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and a machinist by trade. He left his native land when a youth to accept a clerkship with his uncle at St. John, New Brunswick, then a prominent merchant there, where he remained for some time before coming to the United States. … Read more

Biography of Captain James W. Sayward

Captain James W. Sayward, one of Riverside’s well-known and respected citizens, has for nearly forty years been identified with the interests of California and the Pacific Coast. The main incidents of his eventful life, herewith briefly given, are of interest. Captain Sayward is a descendant from an old colonial family of New England. His forefather, Henry Sayward, immigrated to the Massachusetts colonies in 1637. His father, William Sayward, was a native of Maine, and a resident of Thomaston. Captain Sayward was born in that town, October 1, 1815. His mother, Mary Elizabeth (Robinson) Sayward, was the daughter of Captain Moses … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward M. Cooley

Edward M. Cooley was born in San Bernardino County, California, November 23, 1859. His father, George Cooley, president of the board of supervisors, taught night school for some two or three years. Our subject’s educational advantages were limited. He received his principal schooling at a log schoolhouse about six miles from his home. He now owns a fine ranch of sixty acres, and has been very successful as a general farmer and stock-raiser. He was married March 4, 1882, to Miss Mary McCrary, daughter of Abner McCrary, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. They have two … Read more

Biography of Wellsford E. West

Among the horticultural industries well worthy of mention is that of Mr. West, conducted upon a twenty-acre tract, located on the west side of Magnolia avenue, between Jackson and Van Buren, about six miles south of Riverside. Mr. West came to this place in 1884, and in July of the next year purchased his present home, and entered upon horticultural pursuits. The place was planted with trees and vines and partially improved in buildings. He commenced a thorough cultivation and fertilization, and added to that a vigorous pruning systematically applied, that has produced wonderful results, and today his groves and … Read more

Patwin Tribe

Patwin Indians (‘man,’ ‘person’). A name adopted by Powers to designate a division of the Copehan family. They occupied the area extending from Stony creek, Colusa County, to Suisun Bay, Solano County, California, and from Sacramento river to the boundary of the Kulanapan family on the west, but excluding the so-called Coyote Valley Indians on the headwaters of Putah creek in the south part of Lake County, determined by Barrett to be Moquelumnan and not Copehan. The dialects of this division differ considerably from those of the Wintun. Powers believed the Patwin were once very numerous. The manners and customs … Read more

Koyeti Tribe

Koyeti Indians. A Yokuts tribe formerly living in south central California, in the vicinity of Tule river and southward.  Mentioned in 1852 as friendly tribe on Paint (White) creek, and described as possessing unusual courage and intelligence.  They are entirely extinct.

Konomihu Tribe

Konomihu Indians. A subsidiary tribe of the Shasta, living at the forks of Salmon River, Siskiyou County, California, extending 7 miles up the south fork and 5 miles up the north fork.  Their language is very divergent from that of the main body of Shasta.

Kawaiisu Tribe

Kawaiisu Indians. The most westerly subdivision of the Ute-Chemehuevi linguistic division of the Shoshonean family.  They occupy an isolated area on both sides of the Tehachapi mountains, California, but particularly the west side around Piaute mountains and the valleys of Walker basin in Caliente and Kelso Creeks as far south as Tehachapi.

Mono Tribe

Mono Indians. Monache Indians. A general term applied to the Shoshonean tribes of south east California by their neighbors on the west.  The origin and meaning of the name are obscure, its identity with the Spanish mono ‘monkey” and its similarity, at least in certain dialects, to the Yokuts word for ‘fly’ (monai, etc.) are probably only coincidences.

Miwok Tribe

Miwok Indians (‘man”) One of the two divisions of the Moquelumnan family in central California, the other being the Olamentke.  With a small exception in the west the Miwok occupied territory bounded on the north by Cosumnes River, on the east by the ridge of the Sierra Nevada, on the south by Fresno creek, and on the west by San Joaquin River.  The exception on the west is a narrow strip of land on the east bank of the San Joaquin, occupied by Yokuts Indians, beginning at the Tuolumne and extending northward to a point not far from the place … Read more

Biography of George M. Skinner

George M. Skinner, was born in Easton, Massachusetts, in 1833, son of Harrison G. O. Skinner, a native of Massachusetts, and now a resident of Riverside. His mother, Betsey Holmes, was also a native of Massachusetts. Mr. Skinner was reared and schooled in his native place, and given the advantage of a common-school education until seventeen years of age. He then located in Brockton, Massachusetts, working in the boot and shoe manufactories until 1863. In that year he responded to the call of his country for troops, and enlisted in Company F, Fifty-Eighth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. His attention to duty … Read more

Biography of Peter K. Klinefelter

Peter K. Klinefelter. Among the noticeable fine residence property and orange groves of Brockton Square of Riverside is the “Bijou,” owned by Mr. Klinefelter, and is located on the west side of Brockton Avenue, two miles south of the city, in the best improved section of the Riverside colony. He is the owner of twenty acres at that point, the ten acres bordering on the avenue he purchased from Mr. J. A. Simms in 1881. Upon this tract Mr. Klinefelter has his home, consisting of a neat cottage residence, surrounded by a fine growth of ornamental trees, palms and floral … Read more

Biography of Alfred A. Wood

Alfred A. Wood, the senior partner of the well-known firm of Wood & Cunningham, proprietors of the leading hardware establishment of Riverside, is a native of California, dating his birth in Sonoma County in September 1859. His father, William B. Wood, came to the State in 1850, and spent many years of his life in Sonoma and Monterey counties, and later, in Riverside, he was a businessman and engaged in mercantile life. The subject of this sketch was reared and schooled in Castroville, Monterey County, and after his attendance in the public schools entered the State Normal School at San … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph David Gilbert, Sr.

Joseph David Gilbert, Sr., a prominent farmer near San Bernardino, is a native of Cattaraugus County, New York, born in 1827. His grandfather ran away from London, England, and was a soldier in the French and Indian war, also in the Revolution. His father, Truman Gilbert, married Rebecca Fay, a native of England, and immediately after his marriage he moved to the Western Reserve in Ohio, where he remained until 1842, when he moved to the Mississippi river, and from there to Montana, where he died in 1882. The subject of this sketch kept a ferry at Montrose, across the … Read more

Biography of George D. Cunningham

George D. Cunningham is one of the enterprising and representative business men of Riverside who have made that city second in enterprise to none in San Bernardino County. He has been associated with her leading business enterprises and building industries since 1876, during which time the small hamlet of a few hundreds has grown to a city of thousands. He was born in Nova Scotia in 1853. His parents were Herbert R. and Eleanor (McGregor) Cunningham. He was reared and schooled in his native place until sixteen years of age, and then came to the United States and located at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Jarecki

Henry Jarecki; a prominent business man and manufacturer of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been induced by the genial climate of Southern California to select Riverside as his residence. He came to Riverside in 1885 and purchased a ten-acre orange grove on the west side of Brockton Avenue, about one mile south of the business center of the town, upon which he erected a two story residence of modern design and finish. There he has since resided with his family, receiving great benefit from the health-giving air and pure water for which Riverside is so noted. His leisure hours are devoted to … Read more

Biography of Alexander McCrary

Alexander McCrary was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1825, son of Alexander and Mary (Summers) McCrary. His father was a native of South Carolina and his mother of Kentucky. Mr. McCrary spent his youth upon a farm, receiving such an education as the common schools afforded and was early inured to the hard labor of pioneer farming. His natural mechanical tastes and ideas prompted his taking up a trade, and at the age of twenty-one years he started out in life as a carpenter, and later as a bridge builder and millwright. In 1856 he moved to Iowa and … Read more

Biography of Samuel R. Langworthy

Samuel R. Langworthy is one of the most progressive and energetic real-estate and insurance men of Riverside. He established his office and business in May 1888, at a time when the “boomers ” were rapidly retiring from the field of real estate in disgust. He is not a boomer,” but is a wide awake, energetic business man, confining himself to legitimate straightforward dealings, and his success in business and the rapid extension of his operations are a sufficient proof that bona-fide real-estate transactions can always be consummated in Riverside, when based upon their real value. It is to his efforts … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. J. Waite

E. J. Waite is a native of Walworth County, Wisconsin, and came to California in 1876, locating at Riverside, where he remained until 1879. In March 1882, he came to Redlands and worked as foreman for Judson S. Brown. It was he who planted the first orange trees in Redlands, and he has planted and raised more orange trees than any other man in the place. He owns several lots in the city and the finest nursery stock in the whole valley. His property has all been secured by planting and caring for trees for other parties, and taking lots … Read more

Biography of James W. Waters

James W. Waters, deceased, a noted mountaineer, trapper, hunter, and guide of the Rocky Mountains, was born near Brainard’s Bridge, in Rensselaer County, New York, June 20, 1813. In 1835 he started out, a young man twenty-two years of age, with his rifle in hand, bound for the Rocky Mountains and the great West, to begin his career. For nine years he hunted and trapped from the head waters of the Columbia and Yellowstone rivers along the mountain ranges as far south as Texas, accompanied by such noted hunters as Kit Carson, the Sublettes, Major Fitzpatrick, the celebrated Bents, Old … Read more